Why is Our Collection Important?

The Registrar's Office is the repository for all of the original accession and loan records that date back to the opening of the Museum in 1913. Collections staff and researchers regularly consult our accession files to find background information on objects and specimens in the collections, verify accession numbers, or confirm connections between objects and specimens and the corresponding donors.

Curator’s Cupboards

These special weekend events are your chance to meet members of our curatorial team, ask your own questions, and get a first-hand, up-close look at many amazing curiosities of our collections that aren’t on display. Learn more >

Support Today's Scientists, Inspire Tomorrow's Scientists

When you give to the Museum, you support our scientists' research on the planet's biodiversity. You are also creating tomorrow's scientists. Our teacher resources make each field trip a learning experience, our education outreach brings the science of discovery to schools all over L.A. Learn More

Conservation/Collection Care

Green Sea Turtle Treatment

Conservators at the Natural History Museum were asked to prepare a number of specimens for display in a new exhibit entitled What on Earth?Several specimens, including the Green Sea Turtle pictured above, required conservation treatment in order to make them stable and appear complete. The turtle is particularly significant because it represents a species which is now endangered.

Condition concerns. The turtle came to the Conservation Lab missing a small portion of its shell, called a scute (these are protective plates composed of keratin — the same protein that’s in your hair and nails). After discussions with the Herpetology Collections Managers, it was decided that the missing area should be reconstructed. A treatment plan was devised so that the restoration would be easily reversible. Another criterion was that the restoration would not be visible from a normal viewing distance, but would be readily apparent upon close inspection.

Toned epoxy for reconstructing the missing area of the turtle shell.

Treatment. The missing area of the scute was modeled in clay and then a silicone rubber mold was created from the clay form. A clear epoxy known for its long-term stability was selected as the casting material. The epoxy was toned with dyes to match the amber color of the shell and was then poured into the mold. After a few hours of curing, a small amount of deep reddish-brown epoxy was added to the mold in order to match the mottled pattern of the shell. The epoxy was left to fully cure for about a week. The cast was then removed from the mold and polished to match the sheen of the original shell. Finally, the new scute was attached to the turtle using a stable, reversible adhesive (see after treatment image below, on right).